Category: Issue 305
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UK Scientists Discover Salmonella’s Sweet Tooth Could Lead to Vaccination Against It
UK scientists have shown in new research that the food-poisoning bug Salmonella relies on glucose for its survival, a discovery that could apparently provide a new way to vaccinate against it. Steven D. Bowden, et al, “Glucose and glycolysis are required for the successful infection of macrophages and mice by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium,” Infection and Immunity…
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Nina Shen Rastogi, “May Cause Earth Decay: Is Regular Sugar Greener Than High-Fructose Corn Syrup?,” Slate, May 19, 2009
This article examines the claim that the production of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has a greater environmental impact than similar processes used to manufacture sucrose from sugar cane or sugar beets. According to Slate columnist Nina Shen Rastogi, “sugar cane seems to be the most efficient producer of sugar and potentially the lightest user of…
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New Report Advocates Better Integration of Food Safety Mechanisms
The Food Safety Research Consortium (FSRC) has released a report titled Strong Partnerships for Safer Food: An Agenda for Strengthening State and Local Roles in the Nation’s Food Safety System, which recommends the creation of an “integrated food safety system that operates as a full partnership among federal, state and local agencies.” A collaboration among…
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British Court of Appeal Rules on Snack Food Tax Status
The British Court of Appeal has determined that “Regular Pringles,” a snack food made by Procter and Gamble, are subject to the value-added tax under a provision that applies to “potato crisps, potato sticks, potato puffs and similar products made from the potato, or from potato flour, or from potato starch.” Revenue & Customs v. Procter…
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Water Bottle Deposit Law Challenged in New York
According to news sources, a bottled water industry trade association and several companies that produce bottled water have sued New York in federal court seeking to overturn an amendment to the state’s Returnable Container Act imposing a 5-cent deposit on water bottles. Int’l Bottled Water Ass’n v. Paterson, No. 09-4672 (S.D.N.Y., filed May 19, 2009).…
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Disputes over Insurance Coverage for Organic Milk Litigation Consolidated
A federal magistrate in Colorado has consolidated two lawsuits that address whether Aurora Dairy Corp.’s insurers are required to defend or indemnify the organic dairy in a host of consumer class actions alleging that the company falsely certified its milk as organic. ACE Am. Ins. Corp. v. Aurora Organic Dairy Corp., No. 08-1236 (D. Colo.,…
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USDA Solicits Nominations for Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced plans to reestablish the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee charged with examining the array of issues faced by the industry and providing suggestions on ways that USDA can tailor its programs to better meet the industry’s needs. A minimum of 25 committee slots need to be…
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Food Safety Working Group Launches Web Site
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a website designed to inform and welcome input about President Barack Obama’s Food Safety Working Group. The group, chaired by the secretaries of USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, is charged with upgrading food safety laws for the 21st century, fostering coordination throughout government,…